This invention relates generally to electronic social networks, and more particularly, to methods involving access to data on electronic social networks.
Besides the economic value of electronic social networks, they also have a potential in supporting people in extending their real-world social network into the electronic domain. Currently existing electronic social networks do not model the real world appropriately as they allow only very crude control of which other users in the network may access which fraction of personal and contact information of a user.
For example, when asked to become a contact of another user, a user faces a binary decision on whether to accept or reject this connection request, thereby allowing or disallowing the requesting user full access to his personal and contact information. This may result in awkward situations particularly when users do not dare to reject requested connections. Overall, these factors may decrease the value of the network on the one hand, and increase the threshold of accepting new users as contacts on the other hand. Thus, the social networks are currently based on insufficiently simple assumptions. The lack of flexibility creates an entrance barrier for many users and hinders potential users in participating in the social network.
An efficient method of controlling access to data on an electronic social network is desired.